Chile
Chile is a South American nation located on the western edge of the continent. Its unusual shape means that Chile has an extremely varied climate and landscape. Tourists who enjoy trekking, skiing, taking in scenery and geography in general would definitely enjoy a visit to its mountains, forests, glaciers, volcanoes or beaches. Coupled with the high quality cuisine and wines on offer, Chile is rapidly becoming a popular backpacking destination.
| Currency: | Chilean Peso |
|---|---|
| Language: | Spanish |
| Capital: | Santiago |
| Time Zone: | GMT/UTC -4 |
| Population: | 16,000,000 |
| VISA: | UK, USA, Australian tourists can stay up to 90 days with no VISA required |
Must See And Do
Santiago is the capital of Chile. It offers a number of cultural, scenic and historical attractions and easy accessibility to other surrounding sporting and recreational activities. The Plaza de Armas in particular houses several important monuments and the Governor’s palace, and is generally regarded as the heart of the city. There is a park to relax in and watch artists sell their paintings and some street entertainers showing traditional dancing. Another area saturated with architecture and Chilean atmosphere is the Mercado Central (central market). There is plenty of fresh sea food, shops selling meats, and numerous restaurants in the middle. Many people like to see this city by bicycle possibly as part of a tour to soak up what you would miss travelling by cab.
Torres del Paine National Park is situated on the southern tip of Chile and is open all year round to visitors. The peak season is between October and April where temperatures are pleasant for walking, but can get cold in the winter months.
There are variety of hostels and hotels in the park that offer great refuge and guided tours out to the most popular places of interest to suit all budgets. The major attraction of the park is the Paine Massif (3050m). It boasts three sheer granite towers that make a challenging climb. Other activities within the park include trekking, horseback riding, sailing, rafting, climbing and fishing offering plenty for everybody no matter what you enjoy.
The further south in the park you venture, the more glacial it becomes. Many glaciers, blue lakes, lagoons and waterfalls are visible and make for stunning photography especially around dusk.
San Pedro de Atacama is a town which grew around an oasis originally in the Atacama Desert. It is an extremely dry climate with little or no rain recorded each year. The lack of cloud and civilization allows for some great star gazing, arguably offering the clearest views in the world.
The area of San Pedro has a strong archaeological interest. The history of the area dates back around 11,000 years, and some of the oldest human remains have been found there. The Tulor village which is 3,000 years old is a good example of the historical value of the area. Many other examples of ancient civilization are thought to be still undiscovered in the desert.
San Pedro is quite a baron landscape but do not be fooled because there is a lot of tectonic activity in the vicinity. A visit to El Tatio is advised, an area encompassing over 80 active geysers which is the third largest geyser field in the world, however none erupt particularly high. The hot water has created a market for hot spring baths which you can take a dip in for some good photos.
Huge expanses of salt flats fill in the gaps between the geothermal activity and the volcanoes in the backdrop and show distinct remains of old salt mines that are no longer operational. It is worth mentioning that people can experience slight altitude sickness due to the 2,400m elevation.
Pecon is the adventure capital of Chile. It is a small city next to Lake Antumalal and at the base of the volcano Villarrica. Close by are two national parks and one private offering a perfect location for a large variety of sports and activities. In the summer you can enjoy rafting, trekking, a volcano climb, hot springs, and fly fishing with forests, snow-capped volcanoes, waterfalls, and lakes as surroundings. In the winter the Pecon has 9 ski lifts taking you to a maximum of 2080m for snowboarding and ski extremists alike. Winter or summer, Pecon has plenty to offer anybody with a little adventure inside.
La Serena offers a particularly pleasant climate all year round. It has good beaches and a pleasant atmosphere. In close proximity are lush valleys where grapes are grown for wine production, and several small villages to explore. It is recommended as a place to unwind and relax in a comfortable environment, with good seafood and good year round temperatures, especially from September to April.
WeatherAs Chile is such an odd shape, it is very cold in the south but hot and arid in the north. The far south can be extremely wet and the central areas have a climate similar to the Mediterranean with a wet season from April through to September.
Vaccinations| Disease | Required? | See doctor |
| Hepititus A | Yes | 2 weeks before travel |
| Yellow Fever | Certificate of vaccination may be required | 10 days before travel |
| Hepititus B | Sometimes | 2 months before travel |
| Rabies | Sometimes | 1 month before travel |
| Typhoid | Sometimes | 10 days before travel |
Festivals
Fiesta de la Virgin del Rosario occurs annually from 24th – 26th December in the small town of Andacollo located in the mountains southeast of La Serena. Enjoy the religious ceremonies and costumed dancing. There is plenty of food and drink along with cockfighting and horse riding.
Easter and their independence day are celebrated annually in September with partying and rodeos.
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